MYSTERY still surrounds the death of a man who plunged nearly 30ft from a motorway bridge in France.

Friends saw Gareth Anthony Ryles, from Rhyl, clutching a bottle of wine and leaning over the railings as if asleep.

But nobody witnessed him fall 27ft on to the expressway beneath shortly afterwards, an inquest at Prestatyn heard yesterday.

The 25-year-old suffered extensive head injuries and later died at Girac Hospital near Angouleme, on July 23 last year – two weeks after celebrating his birthday.

He had been to a night market sampling local food and ales, North East Wales coroner John Hughes said.

In a statement given by Gareth’s devastated mother Marian at the time, she said she was worried about her son’s health. He had moved to Mansel two years previously to live and work as an artisan and was recovering from an alcohol problem.

He was taking therapeutic medication for depression when the tragedy happened, the inquest was told.

The former Ysgol Mair and Emrys ap Iwan pupil was found at the foot of the bridge by a lorry driver.

Pathologists gave a cause of death as a skull fracture consistent with a fall from height.

Coroner John Hughes, who was not given reports about the level of alcohol in Gareth’s system, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Speaking about their son after the incident last year, his parents Derek and Marian said Gareth had trained as a builder working for Anwyl Construction before moving to France to renovate properties.

“He loved it out there. He had so many friends and his French was coming along,” said Marian.

“He had an amazing life in France. He went sailing from La Rochelle, and went flying.

“The last time we saw him was for his birthday, 15 days before he died. We sat down in a restaurant by the side of a river and everyone sang Happy Birthday.” She added: “In his caravan he had a huge map of the world and that was his inspiration. What has kept us going through all this was the knowledge that he was happy and that he died living his dream.”

Close friend James Thompson said Gareth was “always cheerful” and enjoyed life in France.